My name has no cohesive meaning, as it is two names, ‘Elisha’ and ‘Beth’ combined to create one anew, not simply Elizabeth with a “sh” replacing the “z”. According to the article ‘Elisha’, “in Hebrew Baby Names the meaning of the name Elisha is: God is salvation,”. My mom raised me to be a religious woman, as we are Hebrew Israelites, an atypical practice. My religion was weaved through my name, half of its force from a character known for his kindness and compassion, something I believe I carried on well. The other half coming from Beth, yet another biblical character, Beth is a shortened version of Elizabeth, meaning "God is my oath"(“Beth”). Having two connections to the biblically historic people of my religious community is a reassuring and grounding experience.  My name is a religious ode to God from my mother at birth, and the purpose gifted to me as I grow and understand my purpose through my calling.

My name is very rare, sadly i'll never even see it in a souvenir shop. Only those with difficult names understand the soulsucking anxiety that is paired with introducing yourself, pronouncing every syllable perfectly, in hopes your audience excels at the game of telephone. We fall victim to the scrutiny of surprised eyes, attempting to avoid offense, as we feel the need to justify and explain our name…our identity. I faced this uneasiness with a production-like solution, yet again bringing chaos, and never quiet. My new teachers, and substitutes where met with a choir of my peers, with me conducting, spelling each letter, introducing me as, “EliSSHHabeth”, elongating the “sshh”, and being anything but quiet. I had long enjoyed this tradition, feeling protected by my peers wanting the world to address me properly, and gaining pride from the attached notoriety. In this, I found the chaos in the chorus of my name, sung with a pointed pride, yet unified by its calming bridge. 

As an April fools baby, every aspect of my life, including my name, has been an ironic battle of chaos and calm. However, instead of taking this on as a cruel joke, I pray the Lord teaches me to harness his Godly calm, with my worldly chaos. I will not fall victim to the burden of balance, but will learn to embrace being the yin to my own yang.

Works Cited: 

“Beth.” Beth - Baby Name Meaning, Origin and Popularity, n.d., www.thebump.com/b/beth-baby-name. Accessed 11 Feb. 2024.

Carroll, Robert. Bible-KJV. Oxford University Press, USA, 2008.

“Elisha.” Elisha - Baby Name Meaning, Origin and Popularity, n.d., www.thebump.com/b/elisha-baby-name. Accessed 11 Feb. 2024.

Popular Baby Names, n.d., www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi. Accessed 11 Feb. 2024.

“The Amazing Name Elisha: Meaning and Etymology.” Abarim Publications, Abarim Publications, 19 Apr. 2006, www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Elisha.html.